Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King. Book Review.

This young adult fantasy/romance features a socially awkward girl whose family has a big secret. When her little brother is stolen, Meghan Chase must enter the Never Never with a mischievous friend and a quirky cat in order to track him down. The story draws heavily on traditional fairy lore and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream to create a wondrous, yet believable, fantasy world.

Megan is the kind of hero we admire. She has flaws and weaknesses, but her love for her little brother spurs her on to face life and death challenges. Friendship and romance add another dimension to the story. It is suspenseful and dramatic.

I thought I knew where the story was going. I expected her father to show up in a certain manner, but Kagawa wasn’t writing a predictable plot after all.

This is book one of the series. It has a satisfying conclusion to the main dilemma that leads well into the next novel.